Frequently, when hunting, it is necessary for the hunter to climb to elevated positions, such as onto tree stands, crows nests or the like. When hunting with elongated firearms, such as rifles and shot guns, hunters have typically had the options either to carry their firearms up with them as they climb into position, or, alternatively, first climb up without the firearm, then, after assuming a safe position, use a hoisting device to pull the firearm up behind them.
Several prior devices are known which allow a hunter to climb while carrying an elongated firearm. Such prior devices typically comprise gun slings or similar apparatuses, by which the hunter carries the gun over a shoulder or across his back while climbing. Turner U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,618, Shindelka U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,644, Adams U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,154, Wagner U.S. Pat. No. 1,332,088 and McDonald U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,182 are examples of such prior devices. A problem with these prior devices is that, by the very nature of carrying an elongated firearm while attempting to climb, for example, up a dense tree, the firearm impedes the user's ability to safely climb. When climbing with an elongated firearm, the firearm can easily become snagged on tree limbs or other obstacles. In addition, carrying a firearm while climbing presents a significant hazard should the climber accidently fall with the firearm strapped to him.
A more desirable method of transporting a firearm to an elevated position, such as to a crows nest or to a tree platform, is to leave the gun safely on the ground, climb up to the elevated position, and then, using a hoisting device, pull the firearm up. This method has the obvious advantages of freeing the climber's hands, not allowing the firearm to become entangled (i.e. in the tree's branches) while climbing, and reducing the possibility of the hunter's falling with the gun. Several prior devices that permit a hunter to first climb to an elevated position and then hoist a firearm from the ground with his hands are known. For example, it is common practice for hunters to simply use a length of rope and tie a knot around the firearm in order to hoist the rifle. This method can result in the gun falling to the ground if the knot is not sufficiently snug. Other devices of this type, such as those disclosed in Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,311 and Lovering U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,074 are known. Another problem of this prior method is that the climber typically has to hold one end of the hoisting device (i.e. the rope or strap) in one of his hands while climbing. This not only makes it somewhat difficult to climb, but there also exists the inconvenience of having to climb back down to retrieve the rope, should the climber accidently drop the rope while climbing.